Between-the-wars. A somewhat scarce American quarter-dollar from the Denver mint, dated 1927d. The country (and much of the world) went wild for Lindbergh and his solo flight across the Atlantic that year.

WWI had spurred the development of aircraft and of aviation in general, and in the postwar the large numbers of surplus military planes found widespread civilian use. (Many of these 1927 quarters, in fact, would have found their way into the pockets of “barnstormers” giving people airplane rides at state and local fairs, and on many other, often impromptu occasions.)

Within a decade, though, civil aviation would be pushed into the background. Military aircraft would again demand everyone’s attention.

Between-the-wars. A 1929 quarter-dollar from the year of the stock market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression. Like the other nations, America turned inward. Money…and the lack of it. As money became scarcer, the large war debts owed to the U.S. by Britain and by France seemed increasingly important. The Americans felt cheated. So it would be “Cash-and-Carry” when war came again.

Until it became too desperate, and then, at almost the last minute, it was “Lend-Lease.”

By then, of course, the Standing Liberty of this 1929 quarter was long gone, replaced by Washington on the quarters of 1941.

Between-the-wars. Uruguay must have been a happening place in 1930. The centennial of the 1830 Constitution and the founding of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay was being celebrated, and this 1930 10-centesimo “Centenario” commemorative was a part of it. So was the Estadio Centenario, the new stadium built in 1929-30 for the first-ever soccer/football World Cup. 1930: Uruguay hosted; Uruguay won. And I wonder, did this 1930 10-centesimo make it across the Atlantic from Paris in time to have maybe been at the Estadio Centenario that July?

Italia would host and win the 1934 World Cup; France would host the 1938 World Cup, which Italia would also win.

But that would be it for the years between the wars. The 1942 World Cup would be cancelled, as would the 1946 contest. Not until Brazil in 1950 would the world’s premier football event return.